Technical Article

Keeping the data flowing in this mobile world

It seems to me that you cannot check any technology news website these days without being bombarded by news about mobility, bring your own device (BYOD) and the arrival of 4G networks, bringing superfast internet access to millions of mobile workers across the country.

But while most users just care about getting the latest handset and being able to get a decent mobile connection when out and about, the service providers behind the scenes have a lot more to deal with. The increasing number of subscribers, the “always on” nature of today’s devices and the vast amount of data they create are causing headaches for service providers.

It’s something we know all about here at F5. As the features available to mobile users become richer and more advanced, it places additional strain on the networks. The trouble is that many of the networks and the infrastructure they run on are old, built before these superfast networks and advanced mobile devices were available.

This means that, sometimes, performance and security can be compromised. Some applications will not perform at their optimal speed if there is heavy traffic on the network while many applications from unofficial sources could pose a security threat to the user, the business and the service provider.

That’s why we believe in an application-orientated approach to security and centralised management and policy controls. This means you can tailor policies and protection for each application to each individual organisation, while centralising the management means a reduction in time and money spent on configuring policies and pushing them out.

Essentially, the key is to ensure that what goes on behind the scenes is seamless and easy to manage, so users get a fast, reliable and secure mobile service and providers don’t have to stress about ensuring they can deliver on those promises.